Mail-box holder.



E. U. LILLIE.

MAIL BOX HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 5, 190a.

' Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

EDGER U. LILLIE, 0F GUTHRIE CENTER, IOWA.

MAIL-BOX HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

Application filed June 5, 1909. Serial No. 500,784.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Emma U. LILLIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Guthrie Center, in the county of Guthrie and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Mail-Box Holder, of which the following is a specification.

' The object of my invention is to provide a neat, strong, durable and adjustable device for supporting a mail box accessible to rural mail carriers in such a position relative to a public road and a fence so a person inside of the fence can adjust the carrier and therewith bring the box and its contents within reach of a person on the inside of the fence.

A further purpose is to avoid the difliculty of climbing over a fence for taking mail matter out of the box and also to avoid the danger of getting on a public highway and the annoyances incident to tramping in mud in the road.

My invention consists in the construction, application and operation of the device as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse section of a fence in which my device is adjustably connected as required for practical use. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my improved mail box, as applied to a fence. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of my device applied to a fence and showing its position when withdrawn.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a fixed post referably forming a part of a fence, and orming a support for spaced upper and lower horizontal rails 1O -10 re spectively. Secured to the upper rail 10 by bolts 10 or other suitable means, and arranged on the outer face and parallel with the top edge thereof, is a strap 11, having one end bent to form a loop 13, which is preferably arranged opposite the post 10. The other end of the strap is provided with an integral and inwardly extending horizontal flange 12 which rests upon and extends beyond the upper edge of the upper rail 10 The invention further comprises a holder 16 which is composed of a straight metal bar having one end bent and rounded to form a hook 17 A mail box 20 is detachably supported on the outer end of the holder 16, by bolts 20 or the like.

Secured by bolts or other suitable fastening means to the lower rail 10 and directly below the loop 13, is a bearing 14. A brace 19, preferably of straight flat metal, has one end positively secured to the holder 16 by bolts or other suitable fastening means, and the other end is reduced and rounded to form a pivot 19 which is positioned within the bearing 14. An additional brace or link 21 which is preferably formed of an iron rod, has its opposite ends bent at right angles to the body portion to form hooks, one of which engages an opening in the holder 16, and the other engages in an opening in the flange 12.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that normally the mail box is placed in a position as shown in the drawing, and in this position it is held by the link or brace 21 for convenient access for a rural mail carrier, whether he be on foot or otherwise. A person on the other side of the fence can readily detach the end of the brace 21 from the flange 12 and by means of the said brace or link the mail box can be swung in a horizontal manner to the fence so that the person can easily extract the mail contained therein, and thereby avoid the necessity of climbing or walking around the fence.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A mail box support, comprising, a strap adapted to be longitudinally secured to the upper rail of a fence, one end of the strap being bent to form a loop, and the other end provided with a flange adapted to rest upon the said upper rail, a holder pivoted in the loop to swing horizontally and adapted to support a mail box, a bearing secured to the fence directly below the loop, a brace having one end positively secured to the holder and the other end journaled in the bearing, and a link having one end connected to the holder and the other end detachably connected to the flange of the strap.

ED GER U. LILLIE.

Witnesses:

E. L. NESSELROAD, J. S. M. TINLIN. 

